Witness acquitted of 1982 murder testifies against accused killer

STROUDSBURG — Mark Faler took the stand in court Thursday and looked at Frederick Davis, with whom he shared a room for a few days in 1982 at the Knob Motor Lodge on Knob Road in Mount Pocono.

ANDREW SCOTT

STROUDSBURG — Mark Faler took the stand in court Thursday and looked at Frederick Davis, with whom he shared a room for a few days in 1982 at the Knob Motor Lodge on Knob Road in Mount Pocono.

Faler, now 41 and living in Lackawanna County, recalled the night between Sept. 13 and 14, 1982, the night he claims he saw Davis, now 43, return to their room, showing a $50 bill. He said Davis told him he got that money from 60-year-old motel owner Gladys Steffenhagen, whom he had just murdered in her room.

Questioned by Assistant District Attorney Donald Leeth and James Marsh, the original prosecutor on the murder case, Faler said Davis then led him to Steffenhagen's room and showed him her body. She was lying on her bed with an extension cord around her neck. She reportedly had been beaten, suffocated and strangled.

Representing himself, Davis cross-examined Faler.

"I didn't have any DNA on her," he told Davis. "You did."

Steffenhagen's husband discovered her body on the morning of Sept. 14 and contacted police, who interviewed Davis and Faler. Faler originally confessed to the murder, but later said he lied out of fear of Davis and guilt for not helping Steffenhagen. A jury acquitted him in 1984.

The case became inactive, but later was reopened. Police said they found Davis living in Nevada in January 2005 and charged him after new DNA evidence linked him to the crime.

Faler was one of the witnesses testifying on the second day of Davis' murder trial before Monroe County Court Judge Linda Wallach Miller.

The prosecution will call the last of its witnesses and could rest its case today. Davis is then expected to make his opening statement and present his case.